Welcome to another season at Wildwood Area Recreation Association.I am looking forward to what promises to be another outstanding year at the area's best pool facility.

Last year we completed numerous capital improvements to the pool as you are all aware. The linings of the big pool and baby pool were both totally redone, new tile and coping and new skimmers were put in place along with some improvements to the pump room to make the mechanics of the pool run much more efficient. Two pool covers were purchased which has been on the big pool and baby pool since its closing last September. These covers will pay for themselves in 3 years as we will no longer drain the pool each year and then refill.

While the improvements were needed, we did have to borrow money and use a portion of the savings account to pay for it. We are also anticipating future improvements to the tennis court and lakes.

Dues have not been raised in 3 years but it was voted on at the annual stockholders' meeting to increase the membership dues from $400 to $450 for a family membership and $300 to $350 for senior memberships. Senior memberships are for those age 60 and above and will only be issued a maximum of 4 guests passes. If seniors have other family members living with them, they will need to pay the family membership rate.

This year we welcome back Mary Jo Boehner as our pool manager.Mary Jo has been our pool manager for years and we are thrilled to have her back.If you haven't met Mary Jo, please introduce yourself to her.

Be sure to sign up for our text messaging service.You must sign up to be added but these texts will keep you informed of closings, swim meets, and fun activities you won't want to miss. To sign up, visit:https://www.remind.com/join/wildwoodp.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing you all at the pool!

SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS

Keep informed about pool closings, special events and more. Sign up to receive text messages. Click on the link below to add your mobile number.

Welcome to the 2017 Summer Season! I am very excited to be returning as your new pool manager this summer.

Most of the lifeguards from last year will be returning this season. I will have a list of guards and their pictures up at the pool so you can learn their names and faces. It there is any way that we can serve you better, please let me know. Can't wait for the pool season to begin! Happy swimming and sunbathing!

REMINDER:Everyone entering the pool must be a member and have their pass with them at all times. You are allowed to bring a guest for $5 per guest which includes access to our pool and amenities for the day. YOU MUST COME AND BE WITH THE MEMBER.
We do not allow guests to come without being with a member of WARA.

SCHEDULING A PARTY

If you want to reserve a date for a pool party, email your preferred date, time and number of party guests to:

Welcome to the 2017 season! It seems we just closed the pool and here we are ready to start our new season.

To guarantee your place at the pool it will be necessary for active members (those who were members last year) to have your dues paid on or before May 1, 2017. After that date, membership will be opened to individuals on the waiting list.

The annual membership dues cover all eligible family members. A "family" is defined as those individuals related by blood, marriage, or through legal guardianship and living in the same house. As in the past, a family membership will include a minimum of four passes. Senior stock members will receive a MAXIMUM of 4 passes. If there are more than 4 family members living in the household, the family stock membership must be paid.

All dues MUST be paid in full prior to using any of the amenities. Membership packets containing pool badges & pool rules will be available for pick-up at the pool during opening weekend or anytime after that. Packets will not be mailed.

MEMBERSHIP FAQ

Q. How will the 2017 waiting list work?

A. Returning 2017 stock members can join anytime before May 1, 2017. After that date, families on the waiting list will be offered memberships until we reach capacity. There are over 50 families on the waiting list and growing every day. Historically, 25 to 35 families leave each year for various reasons, so there is a chance that some people on the waiting list may not get in this year.

Q. I own stock and haven't been a member for a few years. I can join anytime right?

A. Unfortunately, no. Your stock membership is considered inactive and you must request to be placed on the waiting list. Note that inactive stock members are given priority over prospective new members. According to the by-laws, priority among inactive stock members is based on the period of time for which the member has been waiting to become active, so the member with the most seniority on the waiting list has first preference. After all of the inactive stock members have been offered a membership, we will welcome new members until capacity is reached. At that time, membership will be closed to everyone, including stockholders.

Q. How do I become a stock member?

A. There are two ways: 1) you can purchase stock directly from WARA or 2) you can purchase stock from a WARA stockholder. If you buy stock from WARA, there is a one-time fee of $300, which can be split over two years. If you purchase stock from a stockholder, it is considered a private transfer and WARA does not take part in the negotiations. Once the transfer is made, the old stock certificate should be sent to Keith and he will issue a new stock certificate in the buyer's name(s). There is a $50 transfer fee for this service.

Important note:The purchaser in a private transaction assumes the stockholder status of the seller, i.e. if the seller was active in 2016, then the purchaser steps into his shoes in 2017 and bypasses the waiting list. There is still a $50 stock transfer fee.

POOL & SNACK BAR HOURS

Anne Drewry

The Snack Bar is looking forward to serving everyone again this summer! Prices will remain the same and if you have any items you would like to see on the menu please send me an email and I will do my best to have it available.

As an incentive to increase participation in our Spring clean-up days to get the pool ready to open, we are offering 5 free guest passes (a $25 value) to members that show up for one or both of our work days (you will receive 5 free guests passes for each day worked).

The workdays are scheduled for:Saturday, April 8 from 8:00 am until noonSaturday, May 6 from 8:00 am until noon

We look forward to seeing you there!

ACTIVITIES & AMENITIES AT WARA

We are seeking members who would be willing to be on an activities committee to help with our events. If interested, please email Trey Tanner at
treytanner22@gmail.com.
Activities and dates are subject to change and will be updated on our website.

Lessons are again $15 an hour with a limit of 3 people at a time. (That would be $7.50 each for 2 people at a time, $5 each for 3 people.)

Come learn how to play or just improve your game with drills and strategies. Kendra teaches French at Brookville High School and coach the girls tennis team. She has played for the Brookville High School and Lynchburg College teams and has been giving tennis lessons at the pool since 2004.

Todd is only available after 5:30 Tuesday through Friday. Lessons are on a first come, first serve basis.

SWIM TEAM NEWS

Meredith Bowles, Swim Team President

Greetings from the pool deck!

The 2017 summer swim season is just around the corner, and we'd love to have you be part of the Wildwood Stingrays Swim Team! Not only do we swim competitively as part of the Lynchburg Aquatic League (LAL), we also have lots of FUN! Our more relaxed environment fosters friendship among the swimmers and the families. No previous swim experience is needed as our coaching staff loves to teach kids to swim!

Our swimmers range in age from 5-18 years old. The season consists of 6 dual meets, on Monday nights, ending the season with our "B" & "A" championship meets. We have consistently finished in the top 3 overall on the LAL. While we are a competitive team, we achieve success in a relaxed, fun-spirited and supportive atmosphere. We do offer a training team for younger or less experienced swimmers who are new to competitive swimming.

Our regular swim team practices daily Monday through Friday, and we hope to again offer additional stroke clinics throughout the summer.

Our parent-volunteer swim team board has planned several swim team family functions such as water polo tournament, a water park trip, late-night swim, and a beginning of the year ice cream social.

We want to say "Thank You" to Brittany Dray for her 8 years as our head coach. Brittany has decided not to return for the 2017 season. We also want to say "Thank You" to Deanna Rossman, who encouraged and loved on our swimmers for 8 seasons as assistant coach. Deanna, too, will not return this summer. We wish both of these ladies well in whatever their futures hold! You both have created a culture that balanced fun and competition, and you will be missed!

We would like to welcome our new coaches to the Wildwood Family. Heath Grishaw will join us as our new Head Coach. Heath is in his junior year at Liberty University and is studying Kinesiology. Heath competitively swam for 12 years, has coached in the LAL for 5 years for the Forest Area Swim Team, and has coached for 2 years with the LCA High School Swim team. This past August he was hired by LY to be an Assistant Coach for the Gold Group and soon after stepped into the role of Lead Coach. He is looking forward to bringing a ton of energy, fun, and encouragement to the Wildwood team.

We welcome back to Wildwood Jake Richardson. Jake will be an assistant coach for our team this summer. He swam at Wildwood for 10 years, was a volunteer coach for Wildwood for 4 years, and was an assistant coach at Farmington for 2 years. Jake is studying Forensic Chemistry at VCU with a concentration in Pre-PT. We are looking forward to Jake's enthusiasm on deck this summer!

Finally, we will have Luke Weisenstein joining our coaching staff as an assistant coach this summer. He began swimming competitively when he was 12, swimming for the Bedford YMCA, Wildwood and LY. He qualified for the YMCA nationals his junior and senior years of high school and now he swims at the Division 1 Collegiate level for Old Dominion University. He has been a volunteer coach for Wildwood Swim Team for several years and has instructed stroke clinics. With Luke's experience and energy, he will be a huge asset to our team!

We will be holding swim team sign-ups March 26, 2017 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Forest Library. So if you have been a part of our team in the past, we look forward to seeing you again. If you are thinking of joining or want to see what our swim team is all about, we can't wait to meet you. We anticipate practices to begin May 30th after school.

TRAINING TEAMWe also have a wonderful opportunity for younger children who might not be ready for the swim team but would like to work on their stroke technique and become more proficient in the water. The training team is a 6 week program, 3 days a week, where children get stroke instruction from experienced coaches. It is a fun atmosphere and provides an excellent chance for younger children to be part of the team without competing in the swim meets.